Partition construction



March 20, 1934. T. COLLINS PARTITION CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheet s-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 9. 1931 NNI J4 FZEZ INVEN TDE HT TUE/V5245.

March 20, 192.4. T. COLLINS PARTITION CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 9. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .60 in i 3? J/zaw atented Mar. 20, 1934 NITED STATES PARTITION CONSTRUCTION Timothy Collins, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor of one-half to Arthur W. Nash, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application October 9,

9 Claims.

My invention relates to a manner of securing a fabric used for plastering, to structural members in which wires are used to engage the fabric and twisted over parts of the fabric to hold the fabric securely in place.

In this type of attaching arrangement, a special object and feature of my invention is the securing of the wires to the structural members by having expanded slits in such members, and the wires pass between the expanded portion and the body of the structural member, this slit portion tightly holding the wire or wires so that the wire ends may be used for securing the fabric in place, which fabric is designed to function as a lath for plastering.

In this connection, a main object of my invention is to employ this type of fastening in partition, wall, and ceiling constructions, or in other places where it may be adaptable.

A special form of my invention employs channel-shaped structural members having parallel slits in portions of the web, such portions of the web being expanded in a direction opposite to the flanges of the channel, thus leaving a transverse opening back of the web, through which one or more wires may be passed, such wire or wires being tightly secured to the channelshaped structure by compressing the slitted and expanded portion of the web to clamp the wire or wires tightly between such slitted portion and the back of the web. The projecting ends of the wire or wires may then be used to attach a fabric, usually a steel fabric of some type, to the flange or flanges of the structural channel members.

In one form of my invention, I may use a single wire extending through the expanded, slitted web section, and such wire may be bent around the structural channel into a U-shape having two ends projecting parallel to the web past one of the flanges. These two projecting ends of the single wire may then be used for twisting around the fabric to attach such fabric to the channel against a flange.

In another feature of my construction, I may employ two wires extending through the slitted and expanded web, these wires being parallel and extending beyond a flange, and may then be used for attaching a fabric to the channel.

Another object and feature of my invention is the employment of parallel structural members, each having a set of slitted and expanded parts with one or more wires extending through a slitted. and expanded portion of each member, and thus spacing said members apart, such wire 1931, Serial No. 567,885

or wires additionally functioning, if desired, for attaching a fabric for plastering. In this construction, which is preferably adapted for partitions, I may use vertical parallel channels, each pair having their webs in a common plane, the webs of each pair having slitted and expanded portions with two wires extending through each pair of slits, such wires spacing the channels the correct distance apart, and the projecting ends of the wires being used for securing the plastersupporting fabric.

Another object and feature of my invention is the employment of channel-shaped structures with wires caught through slitted and expanded sections of the web to hold panel boards between the channels, the wires being bent into a U shape and gripping the panel boards. A feature, therefore, of this particular type of construction is the bending of the-wires into U shape in both directions from the web of the channel and thus such wires being used to grip two panel boards.

My invention is illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a partition construction showing channels spaced apart by wires;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a partition made in accordance with Fig. l, and showing a ceiling construction;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a wall construction using a series of single channels with wires bent U-shape for attaching the fabric;

Fig. 4 is a detail section showing the steps in securing a wire to a single channel;

'Fig. 5 is a modified construction showing a celling using wires bent into a U shape with channels and panel boards;

Fig. 6 is a similar modification showing the adaptation to a partition construction;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged longitudinal section through a channel showing the slitted and expanded section with a wire caught therein;

Fig. 8 illustrates another manner of attaching panels or the like.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, in this construction I illustrate a plurality of structural channel members 11, each of which has a web 12 and two opposite flanges 13. Two of these channels are positioned adjacent each other with the webs in a common plane. Sections of these webs have slits 14 extending longitudinally, and the slitted portion 15 between the slits is expanded outwardly from the web in a direction'opposite to that of the flanges. This type of expanded web may be made in accordance with my patent applications Serial No. 527,288, filed April 2, 1931 wires may be for a Partition and ceiling construction, and Serial No. 543,372, filed June 10, 1931, for Fabricated pans for concrete floor construction. These slits are preferably made so that there will be expanded, slitted webs on the same horizontal level, and through two of these expanded, slitted portions are placed two or more wires 16. These tightly secured by compressing the expanded part 15 either by a suitable machine or by a hammer stroke, whereby the wires are tightly secured to the web of each channel. The series of wires then used between two adjacent vertical channels space these apart and form in effect studding members in a partition construction. The ends 1'? of the wires project beyond the channels, that is, beyond the outside face of the outside flange.

A fabric 18, which is usually made with intersecting wires or expanded metal, or other type of material used for plastering, is then attached to the channels by twisting the projecting ends of the wires, as indicated at 19. This fabric may then be used for placing the plaster coat 20, thereby providing a wall plastered on both sides. In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the upper and lower ends of the vertical channels fit in horizontal channels 21, which channels are of suflicient width inside of their flanges to admit the fabric, as indicated at 22.

. having a web 24 and two flanges 25. The webs have slit and expanded portions 26. These slits are made preferably of such a size that they will take a single wire 27. These wires are cut to length, and are straight so that they may be readily inserted through the slitted and expanded part of the web, as indicated in Fig. 4. The wires are then clamped to the channel by being gripped by the expanded section, leavingone end 28 extending beyond the outside flange. The other portion may then have a reverse bend 29 and have the end 30 extend substantially parallel to the end 28. These two ends may then be twisted through the fabric 31, as indicated at 32 (Fig. 3). By this construction, therefore, a straight piece of wire is bent in effect into a staple, and such wire is firmly attached to the channel. The fabric may then be plastered in the ordinary manner.

In Fig. 2, I also illustrate a ceiling construction,

, in which channels 33 are suspended from upper supporting structure 34, this usually being from the floor above, and such channels have the single wires 35 secured in the outwardly pressed portion of the web, These wires have their ends projecting downwardly, which ends are caught through the fabric 36 and twisted, as indicated at 3'7. The fabric is then supported to carry the ceiling plaster 38.

It will therefore be seen that by my construction of the slitted and expanded web of the channels, I may secure two wires to twist into the fabric to be supported, or I may use a single wire and bend this to have parallel ends. In addition, the double wires may effectively be used as spacing members for making metal and plaster partitions.

Referring to Fig. 5, this illustrates a series' of ceiling supporting members 40 suspended by wires 41, and connected to these members there are a series of ceiling channels 42 attached in any approved manner. These channels are placed with their webs vertical and have slitted and ex panded sections 43 through which straight wires 44 are inserted. The wires are then gripped by pressing or hammering the expanded section, thus tightly securing the wires to the webs of the channels.

Panel boards 45 are fitted in certain of the channels indicated as 46 and 4'! which have their flanges toward each other. In this case the grooves of the channels function to hold the panels in place but, in addition, certain of the wires indicated at 48 may be bent over the flanges in a U-shaped bend and engage the marginal portions of the panel board, thus securely locking the board in position between the channels.

In this construction there are certain of the channels as indicated at 46 and 49 which are back to back. Such channels have panel boards fitted between the webs and the wires are bent into a U shape as indicated at 50. In this case the arms of the bent wire extend in an opposite direction to the flange of the channel. These series of U-shaped wires then hold the panel boards in position. This is adapted to form an effective ceiling construction.

In the partition construction of Fig. 6 the channels are also arranged so that certain channels indicated as 51 and 52 are facing toward each other, that is, with the flanges pointing inwardly; the next channels 52 and 53 are placed backs inwardly; 53 and 54 again have the flanges facing together. In this constructioin there are the slitted and expanded sections of the web 55 each with a wire 56 therethrough. These wires are bent so as to engage the panel boards 57, certain of the wires being bent over the flanges and the other wires in the opposite direction in U-shaped bends. If desired, there may be bottom and top channels 58 and 59.

When the panel boards have been built up into the metal structure in the manner above described, the exposed surface of the panel boards and the flanges including the exposed portions of the wire may be plastered, thus giving a simple supporting structure for ceiling and partition construction. These panel boards may be made of sound and heat insulating material of types well known in the market. Therefore, by my construction I do not require the placing of channels back to back in order to hold the panel boards in the grooves of the channels.

In Fig. 7 I illustrate a longitudinal section of a channel 60 having a web 61 and flanges62. The web has a slitted section 63 which is expanded outwardly as indicated at 64, and a wire 65 is extended between the expanded part and the back of the web. The expanded portion is generally sufflciently open to allow ready insertion of the wire and the wire may be jammed in place by pressing the expanded portion inwardly toward the web or by giving this a hammer blow.

In Fig. 8'I show another manner of attaching panels, such as fiber boards. In this case I employ angles 66, there being a pair of these having flanges 67 of the pair in the same plane and each having an outer flange 68. The flanges 67 have slits and expanded portions 69 through which are inserted single wires 70 in some case, such wires being through two slitted and expanded parts, the wires having ends 71 extending beyond the flanges 68. Such wires operate to space the two angles apart and to form a framing for a partition, A panel '72 formed of readily perforatable material, such as fiber board, is pressed against the ends of the wire, these wires perforating the panel, and such wires may then be bent angularly as indicated at '73 to hold the panel board in place. In this construction it is desirable for the sake of economy to use only sufficient wires to space the angles and give rigidity to the construction and to use as additional securing members nails 74, these nails being secured through the expanded portions of a single angle. The panel board is pressed against the point of a nail causing the nail to perforate the board; such nails are then bent to hold the board in place.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. I

I claim:

1. In a building construction, a plurality of parallel, rigid, structural members each having a web with a series of pairs of parallel slits and with the portions between the slits being expanded, leaving a space between the expanded portion and the surface of the web, a wire extending through a pair of said spaces in adjacent structural members and gripped between the slits, the expanded portion and the web, the ends of the wire extending beyond one of said members and being adapted for attaching a material to receive a coat of plaster, said wire spacing the structural members.

2. In a building construction, a pair of parallel structural members each having a fiat web, the webs being in a common plane and each web having a series of parallel slits with the portion between the slits expanded leaving spaces between the expanded portion and the surface of the web, a pair of wires extending through two spaces each on one of the structural members and gripped between the slits, the expanded portion and the web, and a plaster supporting sheet secured by the twisted ends of said wires, said sheet being adapted to receive a plaster coat, said wires spacing the structural members.

3. In a building construction, a partition formed by a plurality of pairs of structural members, each member having parallel slits in its web with the portion between the slits expanded leaving spaces between the expanded portion and the surface of the webs, said spaces in each pair being in alignment, a plurality of wires extending through said spaces of each pair of members and securely attached to said members by being gripped between the slits, the expanded portion and the web, the ends of the wires extending beyond one of the members, said wires forming a spacing means for the members, the ends of the wires being adapted to support a sheet of material to receive plaster.

4. In a building construction, a partition formed by a plurality of pairs of channels, the

channels of each pair having their web in a common plane, each channel having parallel slits in its web, the portion between the slits expanded, leaving spaces between the expanded portion and the surface of the webs, said spaces in each pair being in alignment, a pair of parallel wires extending through such aligned spaces of each pair of channels and securely attached to said channels by being gripped between the slits, the expanded portion and the web, the ends of the wires extending beyond the flange channels, said wires forming a spacing means for the channels, a sheet of fabric positioned adjacent the flange beyond which the wires extend, said wires extending through the fabric and being twisted together to attach the fabric to the channels, said fabric being adapted to receive plaster.

5. In a building structure, a plurality of parallel rigid structural members, each having a web with a. series of pairs of parallel slits and with the portions between the slits being expanded, leaving a space between the expanded portion and the surface of the web, a wire or wires extending through a pair of said spaces in adjacent structural members and being attached to the structural member by the expanded portion, the slits and the web and spacing said members apart.

6. In a building construction, a pair of parallel structural members, each having a fiat web, the webs being in a common plane and each web having a series of parallel slits with the portion between the slits expanded leaving spaces between the expanded portion and the surface of the web, a wire or wires extending through a space on one of the structural members and another space on the other member and being secured to the webs by the expanded portion, the slits and the web, said wire or wires spacing the structural members a fixed distance apart.

7. In a building construction, a partition formed of a plurality of pairs of channels, each channel having parallel slits in its web, the portion between the slits being expanded, leaving spaces between the expanded portion and the surface of the webs, said spaces in each pair being in alignment, a wire or wires extending through the aligned spaces of each pair of channels and securely attached to the channels by the expanded portions of the webs and the slits and the surface of the webs, said wire or wires spacing the channels a fixed distance apart.

8. In a building construction, a pair of parallel structural members, each having a fiat web, the webs being in a common plane, and each web having a series of slits, with the portion between the slits expanded, leaving spaces between the expanded portion and the surface of the web, a wire or wires extending through a space in one structural member and another space in the other member and being secured by pressing theexpanded portion to tightly grip the wire or wires between the surface of the web and the under side of the expanded portion thereof and the slits, said wire or wires spacing the structural members a fixed distance apart.

9. In a building construction, a plurality of pairs of parallel structural members, each pair having a surface in a common plane, said surfaces having slitted and expanded portions arranged in pairs in alignment,-a wire extending through the aligned slitted and expanded portions and gripped between the slits, the expanded portion and surface of the structural members, and a panel board having an opening with the wire extending therethrough, and such wire being bent to hold the panel board in position adjacent one of the structural members.

TIMOTHY COLLINS.

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